The eight military personnel traveling aboard a United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber have lost their lives after the aircraft crashed "immediately after" takeoff during a test mission at Edwards Air Force Base, in California, as confirmed by military authorities.
"Today, Edwards Air Force Base has suffered a terrible tragedy and we have lost eight brave Americans. This accident is considered fatal," stated Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander of the base's host unit, in statements to the media.
The military command specified that "it was a B-52 that was in the initial takeoff phase supporting the radar modernization program," within the framework of what it described as a local test mission. "It took off and immediately after it crashed and caught fire," Hayes indicated, detailing the development of the accident.
"After reviewing the accident footage, it has been determined that it was an unrecoverable accident with no possibility of survival," explained the colonel, noting that, after the impact, base authorities have initiated the protocol to officially inform the families of the deceased military personnel.
The officer also emphasized that, for now, the Air Force has "no indication as to what the cause" of the accident was, and outlined a work schedule that could extend for several months.
"At this time, we are going to establish a preliminary safety board to gather the initial facts, which will lead to a safety investigation board that will analyze the root causes. Once this is completed, which will take approximately 30 days, it will move to an accident investigation board, which will determine all the information we can disclose to the public and to the next involved parties," Hayes explained, before highlighting that "this process can take up to six months."
The colonel's statements came after the base's public relations office indicated that "initial indications" from the investigation suggested that the accident had been "fatal," in a statement that added that "emergency personnel are on site and authorities are working to locate all occupants."